Wheel.



T. G. BRIGGS.

WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1911.

1,034,414. ,Patented Aug. 6,1912.

L" .a Attorneys i To all whom fit may concern:

Nrn srar THOMAS G. IBRIGGS, F LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

` i WHEEL'.

Be it known that I, -THoMAs- G. Barcos, acitizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Davidson and `State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Wheel,ofwhich the follow ing is a specicatio- The primary object of the` present invention is to provide av wheell so constructed that the desired degree of resiliency will be obtained, without resort to pneumatic or spring tires; although, when desired, such tires may be employed in connection with the device herein disclosed.

A further object of the invention is to' provide a resilient spoke of novel proved form, and to provide novel means whereby the spoke is' connected with the hub of the wheel, and with the rim thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides 'in the lcombination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being' understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed\ can be made Within the scope of what is claimed without-l of the invention.

departing 'from the spirit e accompanying' drawings,-Figure In th 1 shows the invention in-.fragmental side elevation; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on theJ line A-B of Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional details enlarged from Fig. 2.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a hub 1, within which islocated a tubular bearing. 2. `In the outer face of the hub 1, are fashioned a plurality of radial openings 3, internally ,threaded Yas clearly shown inv Fig. 2. The openings 3'are lo# cated, alternately, upon opposite sides of the median plane of the wheel, and the openings are inclined toward each other, at their outer ends, so that the inner ends of the spokes will be spaced apart, transversely of the wheel, while the outer ends of the spokes, adjacent the rim, will lie in a common plane, as shown in Fig. 2.

A plurality of tubular. sockets 4. are provided, thgJ sockets Vbeing threaded at their innerends, as denoted by the numeral 5, to

coperate with the-threaded openingsl 3 in the hub 1. When the sockets 4 are rotated to place in the hub 1, the inner ends of the sockets 4 will bear against the tubular bear- Specification of Letters Patent. Application led May 19, 1911.

10,. connected by and imshank 9 of the spoke,

clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912. serial no. 628,311.

.walls of the caps 7 there are openings 8,

which openings are of less diameter than the internal diameter of the sockets 4. j The yinvention further includes a plurality of spokes, which maybe .fashioned from any desired material. clude an inner shank 9 and an outer shank a flattened, spring portion 11,.the Shanks 9 and 10 being preferably, although .not necessarily, circular in cross section. The'inner shank v9l is of sufficient diameter to fit closely, yet slidably, in the opening 8 in thecap 7, sov that the cap 7 will constitute a vguide for the shank 9 of the spoke, when the spokereciprocates longitudinally of the socket 4.

Located. within the socket 4 isa helical spring 12. The inner end of the helical spring 12 abuts against the bearing 2, while the outer end of the spring is engaged through a transverse opening 14 in the shank 9 of the spoke. The material from which the spring is fashioned, is of suiiicient diameter to fill the space between the shank 9 of the spoke and the inner Wall of the socket 4, so that the spring will constitute a bearing for the inner end of the when the same reciprocates in the socket 4.

In the outer end face of the outer shank 10 of the spoke there is a threaded opening 15, adapted to receive a screw 16, 'having a beveled head 17, adapted to register in a similarly shaped opening 18 in the rim 19, the outer end face of the head 17 of the screw seating Hush withV the rim 19, as

In practical operation, the spokes reciprocate longitudinally in the sockets 4, the spokes beingthrust outwardly, bythe action of the springs 12. In order to permit the Shanks 9 of the spokes to move inwardly, into the socketsl 4, the spokes must yield,V owing to the fact that the sockets 4 are angularly disposed with respect to each other. One of the functions of the spring portions 11 of the spokes, is to permit this necessary yielding of the spokes. Moreover, When each. spoke is disposed in a horizontal osition, or in a position substantially horlzontal, it is obvious that the springs 12 willbe The spokesl insubjected to practically no compression. Under such circumstances, the spring portions 11 of the spokes will yield, thus giving the required resiliency to the structure.

In order to secure a proper action of the spring portions 11, it is requisite that the spokes be secured rigidly to the rim 9, and such a rigid c'onnectiom'is afforded by the engagement between the screws 16, the rim 19, and the outer Shanks l0 of the spokes.

The hub preferably, although not necessarily, isfashioned from Wood, while the bearing 2, is fashioned from metal. The springs l12 at their inner ends, bear directly againstI the member 2, and thus a rm abutment for the springs is provided, none of the thrust of the springs, nor the Wear incident thereto, being carried by the hub-` proper 1.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a Wheel, a hub; a tubular bearing in the hub and adapted to engage directlywith an axle to the wheel; a .tubular .socketthreaded into the hub and engagingthe bearing to hold the bearing in the hub;- a rim; ject-ing Jfrom the -rim' and [entering the socket; and spring means in the socket and abutting against the hearing, for supporting the spoke.

In testimony as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my sig- 'nature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS'G. BRIGGS. Witnesses:

, F. B. OGHSENREITER,

MARIE E. GEIER.

serve as a rotatable mounting forv that I claim the foregoing a spoke pro- 

